MEMBER PROFILE FOR Dark Voodoo
Average Overall Score Given: 7.00000 / 10
Total Forum Posts: 18
Reviews
Inside Pitch 2003
Overall: Baseball is arguably called America?s favorite pastime and I myself have to agree with that as I am a major Yankee fan. So, basically I buy all the baseball games on the Xbox and play till I drop. Although Inside Pitch 2003 will not be one of my pastimes, as the only award this game deserves is ?Worst Baseball Game on the Xbox?. With no Franchise mode, mediocre graphics, and forgettable sound and commentary, this game puts Microsoft to shame. Any Xbox owner looking for a baseball game for their video game library should defiantly look elsewhere.There is one thing that saves this game from total failure, and it is its ?create a player? mode. Once you master the clunky interface you can really create an All-Star player. Problem is you?re forced to take your character through training and then bring him into the field, which isn?t bad if like that sort of realism. Then you take him onto the field and wonder why you went through the trouble of making a player, if you can?t even test him out without playing the game and all its numerous disappointments. I came into this game expecting an eye opening, grand slamming good time and left disappointed and eyesore from the horrible graphics.
Gameplay: Well, basically it sucks. It?s a baseball game so naturally there?s not a whole lot of camera views, and the few there available are stupid. The batter?s stance is really the only one the game uses (like most games), and yet it?s so far back you can barely tell if it?s a strike or a ball. So, random swinging is basically the best thing you can do. Either that, or pray you hit it. The gameplay is no different than most, save a couple of added on plays such as jumping over a sliding runner. The camera will zoom in after each play, determining the verdict, be it a steal, pickoff, or whatever
Graphics: Graphics are the cream of the game and with the Xbox power behind it, you?d expect more, especially from Microsoft. So when I heard of this game, it was previewed as pushing the Xbox to the limites. Now I?m not saying they are wrong because some times the game shines like no other, and yet it looks like you?re playing a port off the Playstation 2, not to mention playing like it as well. The stadiums and player faces all look incredible, comparible if not better than Sega?s World Series 2K3. The stadiums, particulary, look fantastic, even more so at night, with the lights glowing bright. Exact replicas, the stadium contain almost every billboard and sign the real version offers.
Now the animations are a different story, as every single batting stance is incorrect, and the players look stiff and glitchy. The pitcher is worse for wear, with bad pitching animations and control. The fact that you can underhand a ball from 2nd to 1st completely takes away from the realism.
So the graphics of Inside Pitching are a mixed bag, featuring the good, the bad and the ugly.
Audio: Sound is something that gets more and more important everyday. While no game will ever have the sound quality of Halo, some games come close. This game, however misses by a wide strike. With unrealistic ball hitting bat formulas and commentary your only wish is too shut off the game, which leaves the best sound; the background music. Yes, this is the only thing anyone would want to hear.
Suggestions: While this is the worst baseball title currently for the Xbox, it had the most potential. One thing that could have been done was to not promise so much and delivers only a quarter of it. This is a game not even worth a rental, so don?t bother tainting your Xbox with this one. Maybe next season, Microsoft will learn from their past mistakes. Inside Pitch 2003, however, failed the hype machine.
Overall Score: 4.0 / 10
Big Mutha Truckers
Overall: Ever since I saw joy Ride I always wanted to drive on of those 18 wheelers. I dreamed of using that radio thing. So the folks at Eutechnyx said ?hey lets make a racing game disguised as a redneck trucking game! So they went to work and created an average game for the average system PS2. Then it got ported to our beloved Xbox and lucky for me I borrowed it from a friend to test it out. After all the hoping and dreaming I may have came into the game with expectations too high and I was sorely disappointed for many days to come. The game is decent but as I said before do not come into this game expecting anything more than a racer disguised as a trucking game.Gameplay: Like most racing games there aren?t a lot of camera angles and this game only has two. Featuring in car and out of car cameras this game runs short of difference. The game?s high point is its awesome looking crashes, which are fantastic as you ram oncoming traffic into rubble and even creating combo crashes which are rewarded with money. The game?s deep career mode is really the only fun I got out of the game besides the amazing crashes
Graphics: The graphics featured in this game are nothing the PS2 couldn?t do or better for that matter. At 60 fps that game is pretty impressive although the highways are basically the same and the only average looking objects in the game are its trucks. The trucks are detailed and can cause realistic damage to oncoming traffic. The character models are angular and motionless. While the graphics are nothing to write home about the game still can show off some great crashes
Audio: With no custom soundtrack support the game leaves you two options turn down the volume or bear witness to the worst music in video game history. The game?s voice acting is dreadful and is done by a no name cast. The dialogue is painful and the music selection is short of quantity and quality. At times I find myself turning off the game just to hear the monks of Halo, I?m not joking either! The onslaught of yee haws and hee haas is enough for you to throw the slightly heavy Xbox at a wall. The trucks engine noise is nothing special and the only thing that kind of makes this game?s sound not be turned down is its awesome formula of big truck into small truck save the game.
Suggestions: While it isn?t that great of a game it still contains the simple pleasure of making a pile up of cars into rubble. Its deep career makes the price tag of 20 bucks almost worth it and with a good replay value it?s kind of worth it. So if you can get over the disgusting voice acting and the bland environments then there is enjoyment to be found so either rent it or if you have some cash then it might be worth the price.
Maybe next time they can add a little Live support our way?And work more with the Xbox hardware
Overall Score: 6.0 / 10
Midtown Madness 3
Overall: The Midtown Madness franchise has been defined as a no hold white knuckle 35 miles above the speed limit good time. So the expectancy of this game was very high and this game unsurprisingly beats the expectancy and goes past it at 75 mph. Even though criticized for only containing 2 cities to drive in, the developers gave the cities so much detail that you could plan your next visit to one of the game?s levels Paris or even Washington D.C! The two cities have traffic, pedestrian, and yes hotdog stands to crash into. The game sports an undercover mode with over 50 missions based upon some silly crime. Mixed with fun missions and bad voice acting the game really shows off in the Xbox Live arena. Sporting many types of game modes such as: Tag, Stayaway, Capture the Gold, Hunter, and many many more. The game also has a wealthy amount of online customization options such as, what city, section of the city, time, season, weather, and much more. The game has a Cruise mode in case you need to get the roads down pat. To be quite honest if there is only one thing that makes this game get a 4.5 and not a perfect 5 is because I?m a sore loser and I can never seem to win in this gameGameplay: What?s more fun than screeching through a city at 95 miles an hour with cops on your tail? Nothing and this games jaw dropping graphics bring the city to life as you screech around curves on the Xbox Live arena screaming in your communicator eat my dust fool! The game has so many different types of modes and by far my favorite type Cruise mode. The games camera features in car and all the other basic cameras of a racing game. The Live capabilities really make this game shine as you race with friends and foe for the title of 1st. I have not been party to any lag yet and the games frame rate makes sure that there is no slowdown as you witness all the action on screen.
Graphics: To put it straight out this game is gorgeous. The detail on the environments and cars and even right down to the trees are astounding. They are simply satisfying for your eyes as this game is a perfect example of how to use Xbox hardware?.. right. The cities are living breathing masterpieces that make your jaw drop in awe. The games engine is one that will be used by future racing titles because of the detail and graphical enhancements. This game beat Midnight Club 2 with its superior eye candy.
Audio: While it?s no Midnight Club 2 the game still contains an awesome soundtrack although a little corny. The cars sound realistic and the tight corning as your tires screech sound amazing. The game also allows for custom soundtrack so if you can?t stand the game?s soundtrack then go ahead and play your backstreet boys CD your Xbox won?t tell. The game however doesn?t beat Midnight Club 2 in this only because you don?t drive souped up rides. This may not be the games strong point but it almost reaches Halo fame.
Suggestions: Release more downloadable content.The cities are pretty and all but we gamers need variations and to make our little gaming hearts beat we need MORE CITIES!!!!
Otherwise great job and hope to see a sequel
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
Soldier of Fortune 2: Double Helix
Overall: I remember when the first Soldier of Fortune came out, a game while no doubt of quality, was nearly overshadowed by the parental backlash it endured over its violent and gritty gameplay. Can you believe it, parents actually fussed over large amounts of gore and dismemberments of all kinds? I can clearly see the befuddled, much less horrified look on the clerk?s face when little kids ran up to the counter and countless mothers purchasing the game without knowing what their children were actually getting in to; a gory good time!After a three-year hiatus, Soldier of Fortune 2: Double Helix has returned to, and though it is a straight-out-port of the PC version, it still shines and induces projectile vomit with the best of them; a pleasure for those not suffering of a weak stomach. This game is all about the realistic blood, guts, pain, and decapitating goodness on can handle, even more so when online with Xbox Live. There is nothing more satisfying then watching your opponents intestines spill out after a spray from your rifle, or watching as they clutch their neck after being shot, trying to stay alive even as they realize they are dead meat.
Gameplay: Shoot, watch death, run, repeat. The game is really just your run-of-the-mill, cookie-cutter FPS (only with all the gory goodness). A game you play to blow off some steam, daily stress of life can be relieved with a few head explosions. The controls are great so you won?t find yourself hinting for a button, and the nice selection of ?goodies? literally make standing against the endless onslaught of ?baddies? really cool. As the bullets are firing the rush you feel as you decimate wave after wave of opponents may just have you screaming, ?You like, you like?! Jumping into a helicopter?s 50 Cal and mowing down your enemies into individual pools of blood is just astounding.
With the good comes the bad, or the just plain terrible. It?s actually possible to run up to an enemy, and calmly wait. Five seconds later he may actually recognize you and quickly attack, even after you?ve already shot him! Sniper shots are hit-and-miss, as you could shoot a dead on shot into a guy?s skull and he still would keep walking towards you . . . even after blowing off an arm. Many enemies will crouch and shoot at you after taking multiple shots to the body and act like a bullet never passed threw their skulls! The bullet detection sucks, as even after missing a guy by a yard you can watch as he dies right there from a headshot. Strange, but true.
Graphics: While the game could easily run on a PS2, its gory content is still very prevalent and watching as bodies spill out rivers of blood and guts, definitely entails that some time went into the detail of the carnage. Still, the textures are somewhat lacking as blood looks a lot like spilt paint. After such a bloody mess, you?ll then take a gander at the environments and some of the player models and see that a substantial amount of time should have been spent on the lightening and textures (Although the game sports multi texturing it really doesn?t show though to any degree). The guns look bland, quite simply as if they were wrenched from the textures of the N64 hit, Goldeneye. Although the many vehicles you ride in are astounding, this is just another example of how a developer shames itself by not taking advantage of the Xbox hardware.
Audio: While the footsteps will make you want to put your guy in wheelchair, the bullets flying and the screams of pain from dying opponents makes you squeal with maniac joy. The gargling sound of your enemy gasping for air as a well-aimed bullet passes through his neck is cool, but after a couple of times it can get really repetitive and you?ll quickly avoid neck shots. Weapon sound effects are quite realistic, from the pinging of bullets bouncing off the metal to the sound three rounds hitting the stomach of your adversary make. Especially effective is the sound your victim?s insides make as they splash against the cold floor. Bodies hitting the floor after a beating are quite effective and bad elevator music in between missions round out the audio. Is it the Halo soundtrack reborn, no, but then what is?
Suggestions: While a great game and a great XBL title I would recommend that Activision becomes more familar with the Xbox hardware as these graphics could be done and outmatched on the Sony Playstation2
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
